A clergyman is on trial for allegedly defaming and inciting the public against a fellow ‘man of God’.
The police on Tuesday dragged Abraham Daniel, an arts employee of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, to an Upper Area Court in Zuba, FCT for publishing maliciously materials on social media against Pastor Paul Eneche and Dunamis International Gospel Centre.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the defendant committed the act between September and November 22.
He added that the defendant said in that publication:
“if anything happens to me Pastor Paul Eneche and Dunamis International Gospel Centre should be held responsible”.
The prosecution counsel alleged that the publication was intended to harm the reputation of the pastor and further incites the public against the aforementioned person with the livelihood of breaking public peace.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Defence counsel, Mr U.C. Onuaha, applied for bail for his client under Sections 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
Onuaha told the court that the defendant was still a pastor under the employment of the church; he was on police administrative bail and he would not interfere with the police investigation when granted bail.
The prosecution counsel Ogada vehemently opposed to the bail application, adding the defendant was of an unknown address.
In his ruling, the presiding Upper Area Court Judge, Mr Gambo Garba, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 and one surety in the like sum.
He ordered that the surety must be a civil servant not lower than grade level 12 officer.
The case continues on December 16.
